A wide variety of devices include reservoirs for holding water and/or another liquid. Depending on the device, water may be drawn from the reservoir for various end uses. For example, many coffee makers include a water reservoir that holds water that is used to make coffee on demand. Medical devices such as continuous positive airway pressure devices, ventilators, and the like may also include one or more water reservoirs, e.g., for humidifying air administered to a patient. Humidifiers may also include a reservoir for the purpose of holding water that is used to humidify air.
Bacteria, mold, viruses and/or other contaminants may grow or otherwise accumulate within a reservoir, particularly if the reservoir is infrequently cleaned and/or water therein is allowed to remain stagnant for long periods (e.g. days) before it is replaced or replenished with fresh water. Despite this risk, users of devices that include a reservoir often do not clean the reservoir or replenish the reservoir with fresh water when the water therein has been sitting for a long period of time.
The foregoing issues are compounded by the fact that many commonly recommended methods for the reservoir of a device can be messy, time consuming, and inconvenient. For example, the user guide of some devices with reservoirs may recommend cleaning the reservoir and/or other components of the machine using a cleaning solution that is a mixture of water and vinegar. Such methods can be inconvenient, as they often require the user to prepare the cleaning solution themselves. Moreover, such a cleaning solution may not effectively kill some types of water born mold and/or bacteria, and therefore may inadequately sanitize the reservoir of a device. Other commonly recommended methods of cleaning a device with a reservoir include manual washing, scrubbing, and drying of the reservoir, which are often time consuming and considered to be undesirable to consumers.
Accordingly the inventors have identified that there is a continued interest in the development of novel devices, systems, and methods for sanitizing all or a portion of devices with reservoirs, including but not limited to the water reservoir of a device and any water therein.